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Thread: Slight Predicament

  1. #1
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    Slight Predicament

    So, I have a new Supervisor at work.. again. I notice quite often he does things that the CEO and VP don't approve of, and am wondering where the "line in the sand is" with giving him advice. I don't want to come off as a know-it-all, and most definitely don't want to get off on the wrong foot with him, but I don't wanna see the guy fail either due to simple ignorance. So do I tell him every time I notice he's doing something they don't like, or do I let him find out himself? Because I already feel like I'm micromanaging him in a way, which to me, seems highly inappropriate. But then again, I'm 22 so what do I know? Any advice? What would you do?
    Epilog Fusion M2 40 Watt CO2 Laser

  2. #2
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    First, everything you say online is available to anyone who knows how to get to it. Second, I would recommend you back off. I would not blatantly stand there while he screws up but, I would hold the commentary based on your views of how things go. He has to make his own way and his boss is where his direction should come from. I get that you don't want to see him fail but, you do not know how he may interpret your "help". I would wait to be asked; the relationship will grow over time.
    Last edited by glenn bradley; 03-29-2018 at 11:42 AM. Reason: sp
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


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    That makes sense. I'm awful at getting people to like me, so minimal interaction is good. If he asks I will gladly offer my .02, but if not I think you got it right, I'll just stay out of it. It just kinda cause of the nature of my job. He's my supervisor essentially only because I'm "technically" in his department, but I'm a one-man operation. He tried getting me to rotate my job the other day, and it lasted about 20min until his boss came out and told him I need to stay at the laser. And that was AFTER I tried telling him I wasn't supposed to rotate. So that went well
    Last edited by Lee Schierer; 03-29-2018 at 12:45 PM.
    Epilog Fusion M2 40 Watt CO2 Laser

  4. #4
    I agree with the previous poster.

    If he is smart, as a new guy he will listen to people -- no matter their position -- or he won't last long.

    That being said, its kind of hard to watch and not offer advice or help. It can be done with tact, but it all depends on the type of personality he has.

  5. #5
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    I would also be careful about discussing this online where search engines might find your comments. While I have never witnessed it, more than one person claims to have been fired for making online public comments about employers and having them found/viewed by the employers.

    That being said, I think Glenn gave you some pretty sage advice.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Engel View Post
    It can be done with tact, but it all depends on the type of personality he has.

    That's an issue for me. I can't tell what kinda guy he is. I read into things very heavily, and I don't know if he means to or not, but he contradicts himself in weird ways. I don't wanna leave him for the wolves, cause he is new, and seems nice enough, plus he leaves me the hell alone now which is quite nice, but I'd like to help if I can, I'm just not sure if I'm being a sport about it anymore, or just being micromanagish
    Epilog Fusion M2 40 Watt CO2 Laser

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Fitzgerald View Post
    I would also be careful about discussing this online where search engines might find your comments. While I have never witnessed it, more than one person claims to have been fired for making public comments about employers.

    That being said, I think Glenn gave you some pretty sage advice.
    100% agree. That's one of the reasons I'm trying to be careful with my wording. I don't in any way want to seem like I'm bashing him, or bad mouthing the company. I just fail to see how this conversation would go well for me if I tried to bring it up. Doesn't really seem my place.
    Epilog Fusion M2 40 Watt CO2 Laser

  8. #8
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    By the way, thank you to everyone who is chiming in, it is greatly appreciated.
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  9. #9
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    Write things down. Good to have a record of things. not on the computer. Especially when told to do something that is not what was policy. Do you know how the next level of bosses would look at the situation? Sometimes they expect the experienced staff to "break in" the new supervisor. Sometimes they don't. Do you think the new guy's doing this intentionally, or out of lack of knowing? Sometimes a non-critical, carefully worded comment from someone they trust, can alert a smart boss that their direction is not in-line.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stan Calow View Post
    Do you know how the next level of bosses would look at the situation? Sometimes they expect the experienced staff to "break in" the new supervisor. Sometimes they don't. Do you think the new guy's doing this intentionally, or out of lack of knowing? Sometimes a non-critical, carefully worded comment from someone they trust, can alert a smart boss that their direction is not in-line.
    Kind of. A little backstory: My good friend is one of the VP's here. He got me the job. I was hired on specifically to run the epilog which was not even on site yet, nobody at the company knew how it worked aside from him, and even then only the basics. A very new thing for the company. I was given the job mostly because
    I knew him, but also cause I knew a little about the way a laser engraver works since I have a friend that owns one. So he definitely trusts me, and he is the boss of the current supervisor. Known the guy for over 4 years.

    Now, I can only imagine he isn't doing these things intentionally, it almost has to be pure ignorance of how the company works on a day to day basis. I just don't want to tally up all the things wrong and make it look like I've been focusing too much on it. I've never been put in this situation before so it is very new to me. There's I'm assuming somewhere around a 20 year age gap between me and the new supervisor, and don't quite know how he would take advice from someone who works under him and is much much younger.
    Epilog Fusion M2 40 Watt CO2 Laser

  11. #11
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    Consider that maybe he was hired to shake things up and change the way things have always been done here. Just because two years ago this was the way things were done does not mean they are not open to changes today. Also consider the the world economy has changed a lot in the last few years.
    It has come out of the great recession when many companies only goal was to survive. Now they are thinking about making a profit and even expanding. Look at how many car companies folded during the previous depression to get a perspective on what has happened in the last ten years, worldwide.
    Bill D

  12. #12
    Be guided by what you think is right for the company and kind to the employee. Don’t get caught up in anything more complicated than this.

    I own a company of 50 people and the people who last are the people who do the above. Don’t worry about your position. If you are coming from a place of kindness the right people will notice and respond. If they don’t, you don’t belong there.

  13. #13
    Most likely all of his mistakes are being blamed on you. Record all of them, but hold them until he turns on you.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Dufour View Post
    Consider that maybe he was hired to shake things up and change the way things have always been done here. Just because two years ago this was the way things were done does not mean they are not open to changes today. Also consider the the world economy has changed a lot in the last few years.
    It has come out of the great recession when many companies only goal was to survive. Now they are thinking about making a profit and even expanding. Look at how many car companies folded during the previous depression to get a perspective on what has happened in the last ten years, worldwide.
    Bill D
    Totally get that, but in the last 5 years, the company has had steady growth. I have a really good idea on how they would like it to run, and the way things are currently, I'm not convinced he's there yet. I truly hope improvements are made, as he is a nice dude, but he's already made small talk with me about the VP being "Picky with what you do". Referring to me. He thinks I should rotate like everyone else because I know how to use all the machines, and am productive needing no guidance. But doesn't understand the fact that I'm at higher pay grade, and while my job looks easy, and truthfully is, it's much more proficient to keep me here all the time, to ensure consistent quality of what gets lasered, and the fact that a great deal of time would be wasted training everyone else on the machine, greatly impacting production, and having to either give everyone else a raise to match my pay, or reduce mine. And that's more or less from the VP's mouth.
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  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    Most likely all of his mistakes are being blamed on you. Record all of them, but hold them until he turns on you.

    I would hope that's not the case, but solid advice I'm sure. I see things the old supervisor got reprimanded for, but don't want to seem like I'm constantly comparing the two, or trying to boss him around. Very rarely does he interact with me, so I can't imagine there's much to blame on me.. right?
    Epilog Fusion M2 40 Watt CO2 Laser

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